


it could never be home without you

by AimlessCat



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora came back for Catra, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, She Came Back AU, i got ideas and now its gonna be a collection of related drabbles, tagging catradora because it's the one thing i can promise you right now, this was gonna be a one-shot but whoops, will add tags as it goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 04:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18402836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AimlessCat/pseuds/AimlessCat
Summary: Adora left Catra alone when she went for the sword, but when Catra doesn't show that day at Thaymor, it means Adora has to go get her herself.





	it could never be home without you

”Just cover for me ok? I’ll be back before anyone knows I’m gone.”

Adora is not back before it’s discovered she’s gone. She is absent in the morning, and absent still when Shadow Weaver comes looking. So Catra covers for her. She has to be careful, Shadow Weaver isn’t stupid, but Catra has been her unwilling student for her entire life, and she knows how to play the game.

 

She snarks, and snaps at the woman, playing up an argument the two had over Catra not going with Adora on the mission. Of her anger of not being promoted as well. The secret nugget of truth she tries to hide from Adora and Shadow Weaver is useful in this moment. (She hates it) They went to bed as normal, but neither could sleep and had another argument. Adora stormed off, and Catra stayed back. If Shadow Weaver presses, or looks up security footage, Catra is positive there will be enough to verify her story.

Shadow Weaver rages at her. It’s Catra’s fault now that Adora is gone, and Shadow Weaver WILL make her pay for it. (The shadows hold her, and she cannot move. It hurts, it _hurts_ , and at the end Catra slinks back to the barracks to lick her wounds, anger simmering inside.)

In the end, Catra covers for Adora. But as a result, Shadow Weaver decides that since it’s her fault, she can not be trusted to go get Adora back.

 

The squadron bound for Thaymor leaves without her.

Catra curls up on her and Adora’s bunk, fingers running over the pictures she drew the previous night after Adora left. 

She hopes Adora comes home soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Thaymor is attacked. Adora still makes her choice, still raises the sword and fights them off. In that moment, Adora turns against the Horde.

She collapses afterwards, Bow and Glimmer crowding her with their excitement. For one brief moment, she is exuberant. Then the horror settles in, and the words-

”I can’t go back now, where am I supposed to go?!”

Glimmer offers her hand, but more importantly she offers for them to ‘go home’.

Adora reaches out but then- 

Home. Go home. Home _home homehomehomehome- **Catra is waiting for her at home.**_

“I can’t. I’m sorry I can’t.” Glimmer looks surprised, looks sad. Bow pulls back, confused. 

 

“Why not?” He asks. 

Adora tells them.

Bow and Glimmer share a look. 

They turn back to her with fire in their eyes. 

 

 

 

 

The squadron returns having been defeated. They tell of a tall Princess with flowing golden hair, bringing down wrath upon them without mercy. Shadow Weaver find footage, consults her magic, and sees Adora as well as who she was with. 

Shadow Weaver rages, but she can not risk knowledge getting back to Hordak. She makes her displeasure known, but in the end she retreats and begins to plan on how to get her pupil back. 

Catra waits, but there is no force badge to protect her. She tries to tell herself Adora will be back, and things will go back to normal soon….but….. _but_ -

 

 

 

Glimmer needs to recharge, Bow needs more arrows. Adora hides, tries to learn about her sword. They don’t sneak her into Brightmoon. Instead Adora hides in the forest. She still transforms a horse, and meets a crazy old lady. 

When Glimmer and Bow return for her, Adora is alone. But she is ready.

 

 

It’s been days since Catra saw Adora. Still, she sleeps in her bunk, with the pillow and blanket that still smell like her friend, and the drawings on the wall she made as a surprise for when Adora got back. 

Tonight is no different, she is curled up, hiding, trying to drown the sounds of the world around her.

A hand touches her shoulder.

 

 

 

 

Adora comes back for Catra. She thinks she will have to convince her friend, but Catra has always known what the Horde really was, and she only stayed for Adora. She agrees without a second thought. Adora kept her promise, and nothing else matters to Catra. 

Adora isn’t nearly as sneaky as Catra, however, and Lonnie finds them. It almost ends in a fight, but Adora doesn’t back down.

The truth of the matter is this: The Horde fosters very little loyalty in it’s soldiers. What it does have is fear, and lack of options. 

Adora came back with options. 

 

When Adora meets back up with Glimmer and Bow, she has more than just Catra with her. Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle all follow behind.

 

Together, all the horde deflectors walk into Brightmoon via the front gate, She-Ra leading the way. Glimmer and Bow, having gone ahead, wait with the Queen as they arrive.

 

This is a world with many changes, and yet still many of the same struggles. 

Catra has more than just Adora now. She and Glimmer hit it off as friends right away, both absolutely ready and willing to fuck over the Horde anytime. Without the toxic environment, the former cadets split up and explore themselves. Meet new people, but they come back together at the end of the day and bond closer than before. Even Catra is drawn into the fold, slowly but surely, as old wounds struggle to heal. The five of them all bunk in the same room at first, and it takes a good while before they split up into smaller pairs. 

But Catra still must struggle with Adora’s shadow. 

Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio must struggle with their upbringings and finding themselves in a world that’s the exact opposite of what they knew.

Adora struggles with new expectations, and burdens she must bear.

Shadow Weaver is left unchecked. 

Scorpia is, unknowingly, left alone.

 

One little change, one stone in the water, and the ripples overtake the lake.

All they can do now is ride the waves, and try not to drown.

(At least this time, they have each other to hold onto.)


End file.
